PLC Interface

The Virtual Energy Audit is now capable of reading specific information from a PLC Historian as input to the thermodynamic model, PLC interface in other words. For instance, it can read the plant performance for the previous 24 hours, on an hourly basis, to compare actual operations against an ideal represented by the Virtual Energy Audit. The comparison could highlight areas that are off-specification causing plant inefficiencies. Alternatively, the comparison could also highlight specific reasons for the discrepancy that could be the basis for improvement. Each of the files could be electronically saved for long-term analysis, if desired. The size of the Historian file does not present an obstacle. One note, the application is not truly automatic; the program operator needs to select the historian file and initiate the process, simple steps that allow for human discretion.